With the iPhone 5 launching in nine countries today, Apple has begun sending notes out to developers, requiring the app makers supply screenshots compatible with the new smartphone’s taller 4-inch display when submitting software updates. The information was obtained by RazorianFly via an iTunes Connect notice, which broke down the new image size requirements.

The notice even went as far as warning that non-compliance will result in an app being held for review until the proper screenshots are provided. The new app screenshot requirements are:

As of right now, a number of third-party developers have already submitted updates to bring their apps up to iOS 6 and subsequently the iPhone 5 standards. These apps include a handful tailored to take advantage of Apple’s Passbook app. The changes make sense as Apple wants to promote not only its new mobile operating system but also its new flagship phone. If an app isn’t optimized for the taller display that the iPhone 5 boasts than the app will be centered with black letterboxing.

I'm not sure I understand why they necessarily need to require screenshots to be the new dimensions. All the new display offers is more height (in portrait, or width in landscape orientation), which would cause most (properly designed) apps to just expose more of the main body section of the app, when said app is running in an iPhone 5 vs a 4/4S, right? Am I missing something here?

I'm not sure I understand why they necessarily need to require screenshots to be the new dimensions. All the new display offers is more height (in portrait, or width in landscape orientation), which would cause most (properly designed) apps to just expose more of the main body section of the app, when said app is running in an iPhone 5 vs a 4/4S, right? Am I missing something here?

It doesn't. It leaves a black space at the top and the bottom of the screen.

It doesn't. It leaves a black space at the top and the bottom of the screen.

Is this true? If it is, then all I can say is, wow, WTH were they thinking? Would it really have been that hard to just expand the main boy section of existing 4/4S apps? Has Apple never seen how applications behave on regular desktop systems in terms resizing and maximizing go? Who are Apple thought that black empty space at the top and bottom was better than just taking up all available space regardless of screen dimensions, just like if you maximize the same application on a wide-screen and non-wide-screen monitors. I just believe Apple still can't grasp this simple over two decade old concept. Just wow.

Is this true? If it is, then all I can say is, wow, WTH were they thinking? Would it really have been that hard to just expand the main boy section of existing 4/4S apps? Has Apple never seen how applications behave on regular desktop systems in terms resizing and maximizing go? Who are Apple thought that black empty space at the top and bottom was better than just taking up all available space regardless of screen dimensions, just like if you maximize the same application on a wide-screen and non-wide-screen monitors. I just believe Apple still can't grasp this simple over two decade old concept. Just wow.

Hmm. And very few apps have been updated for the 5. Guess I just need to be patient.

Hmm. And very few apps have been updated for the 5. Guess I just need to be patient.

Although I doubt the MMi app will ever be updated.

The point is, there doesn't seem to be a logical reason that pre-iPhone 5 apps should need to updated at all. If the GUI framework in iOS 6 did things logically, it would simply allow the main portion of any app to fill as much space as possible. This is a familiar concept for programs in a desktop system, as someone else noted, but I too am puzzled why this is so difficult to do on a mobile platform like iOS. There is no reason why a mobile application shouldn't be following the same semantics as a maximized (or full-screen in OS X) application on a desktop system; fill all available space. This should be incredible simple, and thus there doesn't seem to be an excuse for black boarders in pre-iPhone 5 apps. These are apps, not images or videos that have fixed dimensions.

Any properly designed app will adjust to the new dimensions with no changes whatsoever. Every single app I have ever worked on adjusted automatically and required no changes at all. Some apps that we're designed to use a fixed resolution will need to be updated to either be fluid or adjust to multiple resolutions. It really isn't a big deal.